Pitcher Lisa Fernandez can throw a softball 75 miles per hour. She can dip, rise, and spin the ball, making her pitches almost unhittable. During the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, Fernandez was nearly perfect. She won the game that sent the United States into the first-ever women's softball gold-medal game against China, then came on to save the championship game for the Americans against the same team. A four-time All-American at the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA), Fernandez may be the best all-around female softball player in the world.

Growing up

Baseball in blood

Lisa Fernandez was born February 22, 1971. Her father, Antonio, was a semi-pro third baseman in Cuba, living under the communist government of Fidel Castro. He escaped from Cuba and came to the United States, leaving with nothing but the clothes he was wearing. Fernandez's mother, Emelia, was a third baseman on the Puerto Rican women's...